Evidence is growing that supports the harmful impact fracking has on the environment. The Center for Sustainable Development has published a new study regarding the danger, including the fact that we don’t have the proper tools to calculate or regulate it.
Rachael Rawlins at the CSD writes, “Under both the state and federal programs, the regulation of hazardous air emissions from gas operations is based largely on questions of cost and available technology.”
“There is no comprehensive cumulative risk assessment to consider the potential impact to public health in urban areas. Drilling operations are being conducted in residential areas. Residents living in close proximity to gas operations on the Barnett Shale have voiced serious concerns for their health, which have yet to be comprehensively evaluated.”
“Given the complexity of the science, and the dearth of clear, transparent, and enforceable standards, inadequate studies and limited statistical analysis have been allowed to provide potentially false assurances. The politically expedient bottom line dominates with little attention paid to the quality of the science or the adequacy of the standards.”